Videos of influencers meticulously washing fruit and vegetables are racking up millions of views on TikTok, reflecting a growing consumer preoccupation with food safety and hygiene. The trend, featuring produce being scrubbed, soaked, and even subjected to electronic purification, has sparked debate among food safety experts and agricultural producers.
Rebecca Scurr, operator of Piñata Farms in Queensland, Australia, which supplies major supermarkets with pineapples, strawberries, raspberries and mangoes, expressed skepticism about the practice. “There is no fruit, even resilient ones like apples, that are going to be better off for being washed and then put away,” she said, particularly highlighting the negative impact on soft fruits like strawberries and raspberries. According to Scurr, washing produce before storage significantly reduces its shelf life.
Professor Enzo Palombo, an expert in food microbiology and gastroenteritis viruses at Swinburne University of Technology, advocates for a balanced approach. “Be cautious, but don’t be paranoid,” he advised. Whereas acknowledging concerns about pathogens like listeria and salmonella, and the potential presence of chemical residues, Palombo emphasized that the human body is equipped to handle reasonable levels of these substances. Australia, he noted, has stringent regulations in place to protect consumers from pesticides and disease, especially when supplying major retailers.
Dr. Rozita Vaskoska, leading the CSIRO’s Microbial Food Systems group, agrees that rinsing produce under cold running water just before consumption is a sensible precaution. “The surface matters because as you cut it, the bacteria can move from the surface to inside in some instances,” she explained, specifically citing rock melon as a potential source of listeria outbreaks due to its textured skin. She recommends rinsing and even scrubbing rock melons with a clean dish brush before cutting.
Certain vegetables, such as bean sprouts, salad mixes, bok choy, and cos lettuce, which can trap dirt in their crevices, also require thorough rinsing. Both rock melon and pre-packaged salads pose a higher risk for individuals with compromised immune systems, potentially due to soil contamination during the growing process, including the use of additives like chicken manure, which can harbor salmonella.
Cooking vegetables effectively eliminates most disease-causing organisms, with temperatures of at least 60C sufficient to kill common bacteria like E. Coli and salmonella, according to Palombo. However, Vaskoska stresses the importance of rinsing produce even before cooking to reduce potential chemical hazards.
While concerns about pesticide use, particularly in blueberry farming, have surfaced, Vaskoska stated that “all chemicals being used by the industry are regulated,” with permissible residue levels established to ensure safety. A study cited by Vaskoska found that peeling apple skin was more effective at removing pesticide residue than washing with baking soda, although baking soda can degrade some pesticides on the skin.
Another study comparing home-wash methods found rice vinegar removed the most pesticides on average, but its effectiveness varied depending on the specific pesticide. Tap water was found to be slightly more effective than rice vinegar in some instances and more effective than baking soda overall. Washing lettuce in water removes a significant amount of bacteria, but does not guarantee complete sterilization.
Palombo’s “number one rule” for healthy fruit preparation is simple: “Wash your hands.” He believes that thorough handwashing before handling groceries would resolve the vast majority of potential contamination issues. He cautioned against relying on specialized fruit and vegetable cleaning products, which often make “really bold claims” without sufficient evidence.
As of February 2026, the Amazon Influencer Program continues to accept applications from content creators with established presences on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, according to the Amazon affiliate program website.
